The Dutch Courtesan

Welcome to the Dutch Courtesan website of the Department of Theatre, Film and Television (TFTV) at the University of York.

This site has been created both to record the preparation and development of the Department’s production of John Marston’s comedy, which will be performed in its largest theatre on 20, 21, and 22 June 2013 and to encourage renewed exploration of the play and of the worlds and traditions from which it sprang.

Fundamental to the achievement of both these goals will be the enthusiastic and skilled participation of a team of student interns from TFTV’s BA and BSc programmes, working together to film rehearsals and interviews, map the production’s growth, and research key aspects of, and puzzles about, the play. (Generous support from the University of York’s Strategic Learning and Teaching Fund has enabled the website’s creation and the special opportunity it offers TFTV’s BA and BSc students to work together on a distinctive and challenging collaborative project.)

An international team of scholars will in addition contribute a series of essays about Marston’s comedy. And, finally, we welcome feedback from users about those essays or any other aspect of the site.

Michael Cordner, Director and Principal Investigator, March 2013

Starting Points

About the Project - An overview of the project and website

Production Information - Information about the performances and associated events in June 2013, plus blogs and profiles

Research Essays - Academic position papers and discussion

Questions and Resources - A collection of resources to help inform approaches to the Jacobean repertory, and questions and challenges raised by The Dutch Courtesan

Early Modern Theatre at York - Film, photos and discussion of past explorations at York

Featured Posts

Introducing the film of The Dutch Courtesan

by Michael Cordner

§1 We are delighted to be able to make available on the website, as promised, the film of our June 2013 production of The Dutch Courtesan. The filming was carried out at the first public performance, using a four-camera set-up, directed by my television colleague Patrick Titley, and with the sound recording under the control [read more…]

BAFTA Nominated Romeo & Juliet In Performance – University of York and Film Education

by Ollie Jones

The nominations for the British Academy Children’s Awards have been announced, and Professor Michael Cordner’s interactive DVD, Romeo & Juliet In Performance, has been nominated for a BAFTA in the ‘Learning – Secondary’ category. The full list of nominees can be found here. The DVD, designed as an interactive Shakespeare resource for students studying [read more…]

Interview: Rob del Pino

by Ollie Jones

Rob del Pino is our lighting designer and production manager for The Dutch Courtesan. He joined TFTV from Hull Truck Theatre, where he was Chief Technician. In this interview he discusses his role on The Dutch Courtesan, working with Jan Bee Brown, constructing the set and trying to use at least one of every light [read more…]

Interview: Jan Bee Brown

by Ollie Jones

Our designer, Jan Bee Brown, talks about her work for The Dutch Courtesan. You can also read our profile on Jan Bee, visit her website janbeebrown.co.uk or follow her on twitter

How should we stage neglected plays?

by Ollie Jones

On 2nd July, Michael Billington wrote an article for the Guardian asking ‘Is it OK to rewrite classic plays?‘. Billington’s article, in which he raises concerns about the perceived need to simplify early modern plays for a modern audience, has sparked a heated discussion, but offers our production of The Dutch Courtesan as an example [read more…]

Film: Jacobean Theatre Now

by Ollie Jones

On Friday 21st June, leading theatre critic Michael Billington set the stage for the evening performance of The Dutch Courtesan, discussing the production of Jacobean plays on the contemporary stage in conversation with Dutch Courtesan director Michael Cordner.

Edward’s Boys

by Ollie Jones

One of the few recent modern productions of The Dutch Courtesan was presented in 2008 by Edward’s Boys, the all-boys company set up by Perry Mills in 2005 with students from King Edward’s School, Stratford-upon-Avon. Edward’s Boys has established itself as one of the foremost companies working on the early modern repertory. Past productions include [read more…]